Mr. Lewis (Woodwork , Metalwork , Mechanics and Photography)

 Mr. Lewis taught Woodwork and Metalwork mainly at Tulketh. However sometimes he would turn his hand to subjects as diverse as Mechanical Engineering and Photography. In the 1970's there were a progressive thought in Comprehensive education to try subjects which might help kids with lesser academic skills of the like of.. Bricklaying, Engraving, Mechanics and, P.E studies which I did in the final two years at Tulketh taught by the girls P.E teacher Mrs. Nowell.

A smart but a little nervous man who was a regular in the school band playing the trumpet and you would never see him without the obligatory light brown overall over his checked shirt and tie during lesson time.  Another string to Mr Lewis bow was he was the projectionist when we had our end of  school year film which more likely than not was a James Bond film. This event was held in the main hall which could be uncomfortable especially in the height of summer sat on the wooden flooring with not a lot of leg room. Usually there were a quite few people absent in the afternoon registrar to avoid this. 

I remember making a bottle opener, with some help thankfully from fellow pupil Gary Corsbie in my second year when we started our Woodwork lessons. Remarkable in the fact that we would only have a one- hour lesson every fortnight. So if you got behind you were simply left behind in what was probably a simple task.   The other week was occupied by Metalwork taught by the formidable Mr. Yates, who was Head of the department.

By the time we entered the third year our Woodwork and Metalwork lessons had been increased to an hour and half every week with the same format as the previous year every other week on either subject.

This time we had to make something a little more challenging which was to be a small toolbox. Much to my frustration I struggled to complete the task. Mr. Lewis was remarkably patient, but I think even he thought that there was not going to be a career for me in carpentry or joinery on leaving school.

In the third year in most comprehensive schools back in the Seventies Spring term exams were usually before the Easter break so that you could be assessed for your options in the final two years prior to leaving school.

All the third-year group were to spend a week in the Mathematics block and one of the classrooms in the prefab block a joining to it to complete at least a dozen exams. Remarkable probably by today’s standards maybe?

I was dreaded the Woodwork exam to be honest. It was a written exam comprising of at least 12 general knowledge style questions on the subject and then some scenario style questions to finish off the exam which lasted about one hour. At that time the third year was a very important time in your school attendance I was struggling with schoolwork and personal problem's not un- common for a 14 year old . However this was the 1970's and there were not the support services you have today. 

Some weeks later we got the results which were given to us by Mr. Lewis in class. I came bottom out of 16 kids our form. The only time I ever came bottom in any exam.  Apart from the humiliation of coming bottom and the general sniggering of the kids I was surprised at Mr. Lewis response he said with a worrying frown on his face, “What are you going to do now with yourself ?  in front of the whole class. I did not respond thankfully the bell went for next lesson and nothing else was ever mentioned in the final few months before the summer break. Many years later in my current job, a regional manager said the same thing to me when I was to be made redundant from my role as a manager. Even though it was a serious situation regarding my future I could not help but chuckle to myself secretly and remember the similar conversation I had many years earlier with  Mr. Lewis.

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